


what's cookin', good lookin'?

by shanivoneverec



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blind Date, F/F, First Meetings, Fluff, Humor, Secret Admirer, Valentine's Day Fic Exchange, adora can't cook, adora is afraid of crawfish, catra can cook and is pretty darn good at it, otherwise known as when you meet your true love at a grocery store
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:40:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29447172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shanivoneverec/pseuds/shanivoneverec
Summary: Adora bumps into Catra at the grocery store - literally 'bumps into' her.There's nothing like flirting with someone when you're covered in crustaceans.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 337
Collections: whispering woods library valentines day fic exchange





	what's cookin', good lookin'?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [brightbolt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/brightbolt/gifts), [NSFWAdora](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NSFWAdora/gifts).



> The prompt I chose for the vday fic exchange was "secret admirer au" and...yeah, that's basically what this is but I also tried to make it different. :'D I got a little carried away is what I'm trying to say, which is why this is also about 500 or so words over the word limit. Oops!
> 
> I really, really hope you both like it! :D Happy Valentines Day!

Adora should have known better than to agree to bring a dish to Mermista’s Louisiana-style cookout. Adora doesn’t cook; she _microwaves_. You want a stack of Eggo waffles, or Marie Callender’s fettuccini alfredo? Adora’s got you covered.

But she promised Mermista that she would try, just like she promised she would finally eat her first crawdad – even though they have legs and claws and that’s pretty weird, and Adora isn’t looking forward to it one bit.

But Adora’s also on a mission, not only to make Mermista happy, but also to make a good impression on this _friend_ Mermista’s invited; according to Mermista, she’s single and exactly Adora’s type. Considering Adora herself doesn’t exactly know what her type is, save that she’s a lesbian and enjoys being the little spoon, this could either be, at best, a fun chance to get back into dating or, at worst, a night of decent food and conversation that she’ll forget about the next morning. But people are impressed by good cooking, right? So, in theory, if Adora brings a dish that’s so mouthwatering that people at the party can’t stop talking about it, then she’s that much closer to making a lasting impression on this girl, regardless of if it actually goes anywhere, right?

After all, her first girlfriend was an excellent cook and those first few months in college had been complete bliss, especially for a starving freshman like Adora who had never left home before and therefore was used to always having homecooked meals.

Unfortunately, it’s the one skill she’s never been able to master herself, which is why she’s currently standing in the seafood aisle of the grocery store staring in horror at the spread of raw fish available for purchase and…how can people carve this shit up when it’s literally _staring_ at them?

She inches past the crawdads warily, nearly content with the idea of just ordering some seafood gumbo to go from a nearby restaurant and calling it good. Turning on her heel, Adora decides to go grab a bottle of wine or two for Mermista to make up for whatever lackluster dish she decides to bring. She doesn’t count on there being someone behind her, however, and immediately crashes into said individual so hard that the paper bag they were carrying topples over, spilling wriggling crawfish all over her legs and feet.

“Holy SHIT,” Adora yelps, shaking the little critters off as she stumbles backwards. She’s never been a picture of grace, and having tiny, ferocious crustaceans scattered across her feet, glaring up at her with their beady little eyes, definitely doesn’t help. She slips on the damp tile and goes sprawling backwards, falling on her ass as shoppers gawk at her from all angles.

“ _Fuck_ ,” she hears the person she bumped into mutter above her. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

Adora can feel her cheeks burn as she averts her eyes, pointedly ignoring the whispers from all around her. A hand appears in front of her face and she takes it gratefully.

“No…it’s my fault. I wasn’t paying attention,” she grunts as she’s pulled to her feet. Rubbing a hand behind her neck, she tries to stammer out a better apology. “I-I’m sorry. I’m so…”

 _Clumsy_ is what she was going to say. But upon finally making eye contact with the person in front of her, it quickly changes to: _Gay. I’m completely, inexplicably gay._

Adora knows there are more important matters to attend to, namely the mess made on the floor from their little collision. But the woman looking understandably frazzled in front of her is… _very_ attractive…and Adora’s face feels a million times hotter now.

“Don’t worry about it,” the woman huffs, kneeling on the ground to ease the loose crawdads back into the bag. One of the clerks offers to help, but she waves him off. It’s only then that Adora realizes she’s been staring at the woman like an idiot as she picks crawdads off the floor – which is completely rude considering it was Adora’s own fault she spilled them in the first place.

Dropping to her knees, Adora’s breath catches when the woman gives her an odd, questioning smirk.

_I’ve never seen eyes like hers._

She’s seen heterochromia, obviously, but this woman’s eyes are so vibrant: one a sharp, cerulean blue and the other such a bright hazel it looks almost golden. They sparkle with mirth as the woman chuckles – a raspy sort of laugh that would make Adora weak in the knees if she weren’t already on them.

“You really don’t have to be down here with me. Doesn’t seem like you’re fond of these little guys,” she says, not unkindly though.

“What?” Adora snorts, trying to play it cool as she delicately picks up one of the crawdads, wincing only slightly as she drops it in the bag with its companions. “Psh, no! I was just…caught off guard?”

The woman smirks and Adora has to swallow at that, glancing away as she finishes cleaning up her mess. Her eyes drift downward, drawn to the glinting of a necklace, its pedant peeking out from behind her oversized flannel shirt. It kind of resembles a heart, though more nontraditional – very pretty and unique. Although, Adora realizes she’s, once again, been staring too long and should probably stop that. She blinks in surprise when the woman stands, and quickly rises as well, still fumbling slightly on her feet. Why are these floors so damn slippery?

“Well…thanks for the help, I guess. But take my advice: Let someone else handle the raw seafood. It’s not as tasty when it’s been on the floor.”

Adora stammers indignantly, feeling as though she should have a comeback for that snark. She might be clumsy, but she’s not hopeless in the kitchen…usually. But she has no defense, not with the way this stranger is currently looking right through her, smile curling with amusement. Instead, Adora’s stuck admiring the way her hip juts out at one side, nails coated with chipped, black nail polish; they tap rhythmically against her belt as she waits for Adora’s response.

“Oh yeah? I guess you’re an expert, huh?” She can play it snarky, too.

“Kinda, yeah,” the woman drawls. “I’m a caterer. It’s sorta my job to know this stuff.”

“Shit, no kidding huh?” Adora says, offering a self-deprecating sort of laugh. “My bad.”

“No, it’s honestly my bad,” she smiles gently. “I don’t usually work with crawfish, so I don’t blame you for having that reaction…cute as it was.” She’s smirking again and it’s doing things to Adora, but Adora’s already acted like a flustered idiot throughout this whole interaction. She decides she needs to find her flirtatious footing again, meeting the woman’s smirk with a smug smile of her own.

“What can I say? I’ve perfected the cute and clumsy routine. I’m Adora by the way,” she says, extending a hand.

“Catra,” the woman replies, using her free hand to shake Adora’s. “And _I’ll_ say.”

Catra blinks rapidly, as if she can’t believe she just said that, but her expression shifts back to general amusement before Adora sees too much. Adora doesn’t blame her. She’s also trying to keep her reaction to that little sentiment neutral, but internally she’s screaming.

_Wait, you think I’m cute? YOU THINK I’M CUTE?_

“Anyways,” Catra continues, “I’ve known several people who absolutely love seafood but won’t touch them. They aren’t my favorite either. I’m literally only cooking with them because my friend asked me to make crawfish étouffée for her party tomorrow.”

“Sounds difficult,” Adora notes, feeling thankful that Mermista didn’t ask her to do anything of the sort.

“It’s a staple in Cajun cuisine,” Catra shrugs. “Not too difficult, but I’m rather picky about it. When done right the buttery sauce accentuates the flavor of the meat, but people like to add different things to it and I’m just…” she shudders exaggeratedly and Adora snickers. “Cream of mushroom soup? No thanks.”

“Sounds like you know what you’re doing, then,” Adora says lightly. She glances despairingly over at the fish on display. “Your friend’s lucky. Mine’s originally from New Orleans and I still haven’t figured out what to bring to the party she’s throwing tomorrow.”

“What a coincidence,” Catra grins. “Not a professional chef, I take it?”

“I can make gourmet scrambled eggs, thank you very much.” That earns her the most adorable giggle.

“Well, wine is always an option,” Catra offers with a sympathetic smile. “Or something stronger if you really don’t want to be there.”

“You read my mind,” Adora murmurs, slouching. “And it’s not that I don’t want to be there, but I’m kinda…supposed to meet someone? I guess I just want to make a good first impression.”

“Oh?” Catra asks, voice dripping with curiosity. “Blind date?”

“Uh huh.” Catra makes a sound like she’s sucking air through her teeth.

“Yikes. I know how that is. Well…” Catra’s free hand comes up to fiddle with her necklace. Her head tilts as she regards Adora, eyes drifting downwards before quickly snapping back up to Adora’s face. “Good luck. If it’s any consolation, you’ve made a good first impression on me.”

“T-Thanks,” Adora says, silently begging her heart to slow down. “It was…great meeting you.”

“Yeah,” Catra says, turning away with her bag of crawdads. Adora can’t tell if Catra was blushing just then or if she just imagined it. “You too, Adora.”

Adora stands in the middle of the aisle for an unknown amount of time after Catra leaves, feeling sort of giddy but also sort of nervous but also sort of sad. When she finally breaks out of her trance, she makes a beeline for the wine aisle.

She can’t stop thinking about Catra the rest of the night.

\- - -

Adora makes it to Mermista’s a little after 7 the next day, hauling with her two bottles of wine: one red and one white because she couldn’t remember which Mermista preferred. Mermista leads her to the back patio, thankfully saying nothing about the lack of a proper entrée, and Adora is in awe at how beautifully the garden is coming along. The roses appear to be blooming nicely, bordered by verbenas and summer-snapdragons. The yard itself isn’t very big, but the gardens wrapping around its perimeter do wonders for making it feel cozy without being claustrophobic, as do the lights hanging from the pergola above. Off to the side is a table covered with various dishes brought by the other guests, and next to it sits a large cooking pot poised atop a burner. The scents wafting from that part of the yard nearly make Adora drool, and indeed, a few people have already started to hover around the food.

“Wow. This is awesome, Mermista! I knew you and Hawk were gonna start gardening, but…I honestly thought you wouldn’t have the patience for it.”

“I told you,” Mermista frowns at her. “Gardening is my new passion. And now you have a nice, romantic setting to make your move.”

“Riiight,” Adora says, shooting finger guns at Mermista to hide how nervous she is. “Your _single_ friend. Haha…yup, I’m _so_ ready to mingle.” She’s not ready to mingle. She’d actually almost forgotten that Mermista was going to introduce her to that friend tonight. She’s just been so caught up with thinking about Catra…

Mermista rolls her eyes, clearly not buying it. Regardless, she grabs Adora’s arm and pulls her along to one of the picnic benches where a small cluster of people are huddled around Sea Hawk, listening to him tell the story of how he set his car on fire or something. He’s also wearing a frilly blue apron covered in rainbows and dolphins. Adora thinks Mermista probably got it for him, and briefly recalls that she was wearing a similar one the last time Adora visited.

“Hawk, aren’t you supposed to be watching the crawfish?” Mermista chides with a raised brow. “If you overcook them, I’m going to make you eat all the nasty ones.”

“My apologies, dearest,” he soothes, kissing her cheek. “I shall regale our guests with stories of my epic adventures at a later date!” He skips back over to the steaming pot of boiling crawdads, relinquishing his seat to Adora and Mermista.

They break open both bottles of wine – white for Mermista and red for Adora – and Adora is quickly pulled into various discussions that she’s only half paying attention to. She sips anxiously at the wine, watching as the guests begin to rise and grab paper plates for the food. Most of them are waiting for the crawdads, however, and Adora decides to wait with them. Granted, she’s still not interested in trying one, but she doesn’t want to be rude and stuff her face before the host even grabs a plate.

Even if everything else on that buffet table has been calling her name since she caught her first whiff.

“So…who is this friend?” Adora clears her throat, still feeling a bit jittery. She knows Mermista’s probably waiting for their arrival, wanting all her guests to arrive before she digs in (or maybe just eager to introduce Adora to said friend). “You didn’t say much about her…just that you thought we’d be a good match?”

“You would,” Mermista nods, smirking. “You’re both single, but I know both of you get lonely and just want companionship. And I’m tired of hearing you both complain, so I’m doing something about it.”

“Um, excuse me?” Adora narrows her eyes playfully. “I literally never complain.”

“You wouldn’t _stop_ complaining when you got drunk at the last party.” Mermista lifts a hand to her forehead dramatically, pitching her voice up in a way that Adora assumes is meant to imitate her. “Guys, why doesn’t any girl like me? Girls are, like, SO pretty. Maybe I just smell bad. Mermista, would you tell me if I smelled bad?”

Adora’s head falls to the table with a solid _thunk_. Her snorts of laughter are muffled by the tablecloth.

“Shut up,” she says, humming when Mermista’s hand comes up to pat her head.

“To be fair, that’s not the only reason. You like to cuddle. She still sleeps with stuffed animals. You like watching true crime shows. So does she. You both like flannel shirts a little too much,” she smiles, popping open the top two buttons on Adora’s plaid button-up. Adora makes a noise of protest, but doesn’t bother fixing the buttons again. “Now that I think about it, you guys both have an obsession with the color red, too.”

“Leave my red plaid alone. It looks good on me.”

“It does,” Mermista agrees with a suggestive grin. “I’m counting on her noticing that, too.”

Adora doesn’t get a chance to respond to that before Mermista suddenly looks more alert. She waves someone over, and Adora is scanning the yard, trying to catch a glimpse of whoever it is.

“Catra! Leave it to you to be fashionably late!”

Adora’s throat goes dry, and for a second it feels as though there are a hundred little spiders crawling up Adora’s chest from the inside.

Stepping off the patio, carrying a large bowl of something under her arm, and looking ridiculously hot in ripped leggings and a simple red tank top is the woman Adora has been thinking about nonstop since last night.

“Jeez, sorry,” Catra rolls her eyes as she approaches the table, setting the bowl down with a huff. “Roommate volunteered me to help with this fundraiser with her and forgot to let me know. I had to bake _eight loaves_ of banana bread this morning.”

“Ouch. Sounds rough. Didn’t happen to save any for us, did you?” Mermista teases, to which Catra rolls her eyes again.

“I’ll charge you double. Twenty bucks a loaf.”

“For your banana bread? Deal.”

Catra smiles warmly, but her expression turns to one of surprise as she finally regards Adora properly.

“Oh, hey!” she blinks. “Didn’t…Didn’t we meet at the grocery store yesterday? Adora, right?”

_She remembered my name. Fuck…she actually remembered my name._

Mermista glances back and forth between them in surprise. Meanwhile, Adora is racking her brain for something to say – something that’s laid back, but also friendly and showing recognition. She promised herself things would go smoother if she ever ran into Catra again, and yet…

“You,” she says breathlessly.

\- - -

“So Catra, how do you know Mermista?” someone asks. Adora pointedly looks away and stuffs a dinner roll in her mouth. She’s been pretty bad about keeping up with conversations most of the night. She’s barely spoken to anyone, save for Mermista and Sea Hawk of course. She’s wanted to speak to Catra more, but finds it difficult with the way people are constantly trying to get her attention, either drawn to her “I’m hot and I don’t give a shit,” attitude or just praising her for the amazing crawfish étouffée she brought and asking for the recipe.

And it is amazing. Adora’s actually in awe at how amazing it is. By 8 p.m. she’s already had three bowls of the stuff.

Sea Hawk withered pretty quickly after she arrived, however, realizing people were more interested in talking to Catra than listening to his stories.

And naturally, Mermista’s noticed that Adora’s barely spoken to Catra all night. Every now and then their eyes will meet, and Mermista will either nod subtly to where Catra sits or gesticulate wildly if no one else is looking, clearly exasperated with Adora for being so avoidant.

“We’re in the same book club,” Catra answers. “Mermista introduced me to the _Mer-Mysteries_ series, it ended up being the best thing I’ve ever read, and the rest is history.”

“Ooh! What’s your favorite book?”

“ _Secret of the Seacat,_ ” Catra answers confidently, glaring over at Mermista when she groans loudly.

“That one is _so_ predictable! And it ends on a cliffhanger.”

“It’s better than _A Study in Seafoam_ ,” Catra shoots back. Adora is surprised to see Mermista turn visibly red at the suggestion.

“You better take that back!”

Adora slinks off as they continue to bicker, muttering an excuse to Sea Hawk that she’s going to use the bathroom. After closing the door behind her, Adora has to physically restrain herself from sliding down the glass. Instead, she takes a breath and decides that splashing a bit of water on her face will help. Everything’s a little too hot and claustrophobic, and she desperately wants to cool off.

She doesn’t understand why she’s feeling so discouraged tonight. Sure, Adora can be awkward, but she’s not usually this useless about meeting new people – particularly when she actually really, _really_ wants to talk to the person in question.

She wants to talk to Catra about her favorite book. Wants to know everything about _Secret of the Seacat_ , even though she can’t remember the last time she picked up an actual book. She wants to joke with Catra, wants to look just as relaxed and pretty under the glow of backyard lights, wants to drink wine with her, try her banana bread, and discuss her recipes and her catering business…

And really, why couldn’t she? Why do these stupid, insecure thoughts have to hit her at the worst possible moments?

Adora slams the bathroom door behind her and leans over the sink, rolling up her sleeves. The water feels nice, cool and refreshing as it rolls off her chin and down her neck. She sighs with relief, sweeping her bangs out of her face, when the bathroom door suddenly opens. She must have forgotten to lock it.

“Oh crap, I’m sorry,” Catra says, about to close it before she realizes that Adora isn’t actually on the toilet or anything.

“Y-You’re fine,” Adora answers, face warming up again. “Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?” Catra snorts, propping herself up against the doorframe.

“I…don’t actually know,” Adora says after a second of thought, laughing sheepishly. Catra laughs too, and Adora is once again entranced by how sweet and husky her giggle is. “I mean, I…did you need to…?” she gestures behind her and Catra shakes her head, simply readjusting herself and crossing her arms.

“Nah. I just wanted to get away for a bit. You?”

“Same,” Adora breathes.

“The crawfish scare you off?”

“No,” Adora grins, watches Catra’s shoulders shake with quiet laughter. “I’m never going to live that down, am I?”

“Never,” Catra says, the giggle audible this time, and there’s a fluttering in Adora’s chest. “I know I shouldn’t laugh. I just…”

“I like your laugh,” Adora says without thinking. Catra blinks up at her in surprise, and Adora could be imagining it again, but this time she’s 99.9% certain that the other woman is blushing. Catra nibbles at her bottom lip, crosses one ankle over the other.

“Oh yeah?” Her smile is soft, eyes turned down to the floor, and Adora realizes she’s fiddling with her necklace. The one with the heart. She hadn’t even noticed that Catra was wearing it again.

“It’s beautiful,” Adora says, nodding at the necklace.

“O-Oh, thanks…it’s old,” Catra shrugs. “It’s kind of a good luck charm. My moms gave it to me before I left for culinary school.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet,” Adora smiles, admiring the uniqueness of the pendant’s shape now that she can look freely without feeling awkward about it. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s a heart, right?”

“Yeah,” Catra says, looking fondly down at the necklace. “They like to call me ‘my heart,’ right? ‘Cause it used to calm me back when they first brought me home. That was when I was…six or seven? Anyways, I drew them this kinda weird, geometric heart thing because I didn’t know how else to say ‘I love you’ at the time. That old drawing’s still hanging above the fireplace,” she snickers. “But now I have a customized necklace to always remind me that I’m loved.”

“I’ll bet they’re proud of you,” Adora says after a moment. She smiles shyly up at Catra, fiddles with the cuffs of her shirt to give her something to do.

“I named my business for them, you know? My Heart Catering. It just…seemed to fit.”

Adora nods, feeling a little nostalgic and pensive. Strangely, she doesn’t feel uncomfortable with the silence that falls between them. They stay like that, Catra leaning against the door and Adora leaning against the sink, both hiding from the party outside.

“What about you?” Catra asks suddenly, startling Adora. Catra’s eyes are bright, inquisitive, and Adora feels weirdly ready to spill her whole life story if it means gazing into those eyes while she does it. And yes, she’s aware that that’s incredibly sappy, but she has no other means of explaining how drawn she is to this person without sounding incredibly sappy.

“Not much to say, honestly,” Adora frowns. “I work at BMU. Thought about teaching for awhile, but changed my mind. Now I’m in recruitment, and it’s great…but it’s not…” She sucks in a breath.

“Not what you’re into?” Catra asks, and Adora sees understanding in her eyes.

“I like making maps,” Adora says, laughing out loud at the face Catra makes – a true ‘what the fuck’ kind of face. “I know, it’s kind of out there. But my grandfather was a cartographer. I guess I picked it up from him?”

“That’s…I mean,” Catra pauses, biting her lip. Adora continues to snicker as she fumbles over her words. “That’s actually really interesting, don’t get me wrong. I just…didn’t expect that. You’ll have to tell me more about it sometime.” She sounds sincere, though, smiling at Adora openly.

She wants to understand something Adora likes. Adora wants to do the same, even if it’s something like cooking: a skill Adora had never managed to tame. 

“And your parents?” Catra asks. The answer to that isn’t nearly as fun or quirky.

“I don’t talk to my mom anymore,” Adora says, crossing her arms. Glancing up, she sees the concern wash over Catra’s face. Adora consoles her immediately, “It doesn’t hurt like it used to. Shit happens, and I’ve come a long way since then.”

Catra smiles wryly at Adora, who returns it immediately. It falls from her face when she notices the slightest tremble in Catra’s arms. Catra shudders slightly, pulling her arms around herself.

“Are you cold?”

“A little,” Catra admits. “It’s part of why I came inside. I knew I should’ve brought a cardigan or something.”

Adora isn’t cold at all, hasn’t been cold the entire night, but she’s always been told she’s a walking furnace. Not to mention that being around Catra all night has turned her into a blushing mess. She’s fairly certain her face will never feel cool again, not as long as Catra is nearby.

Without thinking, Adora unbuttons her button-up and pulls it off, revealing just a plain, white t-shirt underneath. She hands it to Catra, who looks stunned for a moment before gratefully accepting it.

Catra shrugs into the shirt easily, and as if intentionally trying to make Adora more flustered, buries her nose in the fabric through one last shiver.

“Shame,” Catra says, somehow looking both shy and smug. Adora swallows hard. “It looked good on you.”

Adora does, in fact, try her first crawdad before the nights ends, though she refuses to suck on the head. Seeing Catra in Adora’s shirt, grinning at Adora as she struggles to get the meat out, makes the entire experience worth it.

\- - -

**Mermista**

Sat, Mar 19, 11:29 PM

_Saw her wearing your shirt. Told you she’d notice!_

_…Something happen? :)_

Sat, Mar 19, 11:40 PM

_Wouldn’t u like to know ;)_

**Delivered**

Sun, Mar 20, 12:15 AM

_I wanna do something for catra. Help me out?_

**Delivered**

\- - -

Adora’s never been huge into social media. She had a Facebook at one time, but deactivated it and only uses the messenger app to talk with friends from college, namely Bow and Glimmer in their best friends squad chat. She’s never had an Instagram either, but Catra has one.

Specifically, My Heart Catering has one. Mermista had shown Adora after Adora revealed she wanted to understand one of Catra’s hobbies a little better. And Adora knows that cooking is a large part of Catra’s life, so that seems like the best place to begin.

The account doesn’t just have venue shoutouts and menus, however. Every now and then Catra will post one of her favorite recipes, as well. Adora sifts through these recipes, admiring the quality of each dish as she scrolls. Catra’s pictures make them all look so perfect and delicious, like something off the Food Network. Adora won’t lie; she’s intimidated. Regardless, she saves a few recipes and creates a new account so that she may put her plan into action.

She wants to get Catra’s attention, but she doesn’t want to be obvious about it. She wants Catra to know that people appreciate her hard work, recognize her talents. And she wants to know more about Catra, see a part of her world, and trying to recreate some of her favorite recipes seems like the best way to do that. It’ll be completely anonymous, but Adora desperately hopes it’ll make Catra happy.

Adora names the account secret_seacat, hoping it isn’t too obvious, and gets to work on the first dish on her list: Leek and Potato Soup.

\- - -

“I don’t think I’ve ever used leeks before. I don’t even think I know what a leek is,” Adora tells Bow and Glimmer over the phone.

“Mom told me you can substitute with onions, if that helps?” Glimmer offers, but Adora makes a noise of refusal.

“Nah, I got the leeks. Promised myself I’d follow her directions as closely as possible…”

“Aw!” Bow squeals over the line, and Adora grumbles audibly, trying to feign annoyance. “I can’t remember the last time you’ve tried so hard to impress a girl, Adora. This Catra person must be really something!”

 _Yeah,_ Adora thinks, rinsing off the leeks. _She is._

Adora throws a few potatoes in a pot and sets it to boil, only realizing afterwards that she’d actually forgotten to peel them. This sends her on a wild goose chase through the kitchen, trying to find that potato peeler she bought forever ago and then never used. She finds it in an old cookie jar of other cooking utensils she’d completely forgotten about, and then sets to work (almost slicing her finger several times).

She knows she probably isn’t chopping the leeks up correctly, but Catra doesn’t provide instructions for that part. Adora minces them as best she can, throwing away the reedy tops because she’s _mostly_ sure you aren’t supposed to eat those. She throws them in a pot of garlic butter – because you can never use enough butter, in Adora’s opinion – and lets them simmer as she turns her attention back to the potatoes.

Adora doesn’t have a potato masher, but she does have a blender! After draining the potatoes, Adora chops them up and tosses them in as if she’s making a smoothie. That sounds disgusting in her opinion, but she also knows the consistency of this recipe depends on the potatoes being soft and crumbly.

What she doesn’t account for, which she finds out on Google later, is that the blender activates the starch in the potatoes. Regardless, she scoops the gluey potatoes in with the leeks, stirring in chicken stock and cream, and prays it will be enough.

In the end, the soup has a weird texture (probably because of the potatoes), and Adora suspects she didn’t sauté the leeks long enough. She pours the mixture into her best bowl, throwing a random garnish on the top (cause that’s fancy, right?), and spends almost twenty minutes trying to select the best filter for her first dish.

After several moments of tapping nervously on her screen, Adora tags Catra in the post.

 **secret_seacat** I really, really hope you aren’t offended by this, but I made one of your recipes for myself! It’s so good! Probably not as good as it would be if you made it, though. :) @myheartcatering

She gets a few responses from some of Catra’s followers, but Catra herself doesn’t respond.

Oh well. Time for the next dish: Boeuf Bourguignon.

\- - -

Adora should have known better than to attempt a dish when she can’t even pronounce its name.

She should’ve also known better than to drink on the job, but the recipe already calls for wine _and_ cognac, and Adora isn’t one to pass up a drink – especially in situations like these. Situations where she’s literally destroying her kitchen to try and anonymously impress an amazing woman, ignoring the fact that sometimes she thinks talking to said woman, or just getting her number really, would be far more productive. C’est la vie.

Adora thinks it’s a sin to boil bacon, choosing to sauté it instead. And _this time_ she remembers to sauté her veggies longer, though she’s working with actual onions this time and not leeks, as well as carrots and chopped garlic. Everything is smelling pretty good, more precisely the beef and bacon, and Adora’s feeling confident – if not slightly tipsy.

And thus, everything ends in disaster.

Though she remembers to turn the burner off, Adora throws just a bit too much cognac in her pot of vegetables. She lights the match with a giggle, eager to see this ‘fun little trick’ Catra mentioned in her recipe.

Adora’s windows have to be kept open for hours afterwards, and her favorite apron is singed beyond reason. She pulls the meal together as best she can and takes a picture.

 **secret_seacat** Literally set myself on fire for this, but it was worth it! :’D @myheartcatering

Later, a couple of responses to her post catch her eye.

 **igive_greathugs** Looks like you have a secret admirer, Wildcat!

 **myheartcatering** ;)

Adora rolls around in bed, clutching her phone to her chest and squealing. She probably looks like a major dork, but she doesn’t care.

\- - -

Several days and attempted recipes later, Adora thinks things are going pretty well. In her opinion the lobster bisque tasted alright, though she did substitute the lobster part with crab meat instead. Catra’s recipe actually asks for live, uncooked lobster, but if crawdads are too much for Adora to handle, she can’t even begin to imagine killing and boiling a whole lobster. She’d probably cry. The roast chicken was probably the most familiar thing to her, though the lemon and garlic Catra instructs her to add are a nice touch. And though she began this endeavor feeling insecure, especially since a lot of these dishes look fancy and super complicated at first glance, she finds that most turn out pretty okay – some a little burnt, but Adora eats them anyways. She’s fond of the gougères (because bread and cheese are two of her favorite foods), and the scrambled eggs. Now she can _officially_ declare that she really does know how to make gourmet scrambled eggs!

And best of all, her posts have gotten quite a bit of attention. She’s almost at three-hundred followers.

And _Catra_ has been liking them.

Adora would be content to leave it at that, knowing that Catra knows she’s admired, but she wakes up one morning to her phone buzzing incessantly. Groaning, Adora turns over and unlocks her phone, seeing various notifications from Instagram. Curious, she opens the app and sees that My Heart Catering has made a post.

It’s a pencil sketch of the heart on Catra’s necklace. But the caption is what really catches Adora’s attention.

 **myheartcatering** A special thanks to a dear friend: @secret_seacat. It’s amazing to wake up every morning knowing that I’m loved.

Adora smiles softly as the post, feeling a familiar heat in her cheeks and thrumming in her chest. She feels ridiculously good, accomplished even. She’s about to get up and either do a happy dance or make some of Catra’s super amazing gourmet scrambled eggs, or both, when her phone buzzes again. Picking it up, Adora sees that she’s received a message from an unknown number. She nearly falls over upon reading it.

**Unknown**

Sat, Apr 3, 8:45 AM

_Hey Adora. This is Catra. :)_

Sat, Apr 3, 8:48 AM

_Just texting to let you know that your name fits. You are adora-ble. An adorable idiot._

Adora should feel annoyed at the pun, or put off by Catra calling her an idiot, but if the shoe fits…

She’s certainly grinning like an idiot.

Sat, Apr 3, 8:53 AM

_How do u figure that? ;)_

**Delivered**

Sat, Apr 3, 9:00 AM

_Because we were literally on a blind date together, I wore your shirt all night, gave you my incredibly tragic and emotional backstory…_

Adora is laughing, and also crying. But it’s okay; they’re happy tears.

_…and you still thought you had to make an anonymous Instagram account and make my recipes instead of just asking me out like a normal person._

Sat, Apr 3, 9:05 AM

_Mermista tell u? lol_

**Delivered**

Sat, Apr 3, 9:10 AM

_Maybe…but you also used my favorite book as your name, dummy._

Sat, Apr 3, 9:07 AM

_Could’ve been anyone at that table_

**Delivered**

Sat, Apr 3, 9:10 AM

_No. :) Only you._

Adora can’t fathom what’s happening right now, can’t think of anything except how much her jaw is going to hurt with how big she’s smiling. Her heart is racing and her palms are sweating and she’s caught off guard – again – when Catra sends another text.

 _So?_ she says.

 _So what?_ Adora texts back, hands trembling with anticipation.

_Ask me out already._

This is happening. It’s really happening.

_Gladly._

\- - -

“You’re saving one of those for me, right?” Adora asks from the sofa, putting on her best kicked puppy face as Catra sticks the banana bread in the oven.

“Maybe if you helped,” Catra chides playfully. “Or paid me thirty bucks.”

“That’s more than what you charged Mermista!”

“Yeah, I know,” Catra winks, making her way towards the sofa. Adora stares at her from upside down as she approaches, still pouting, though a grin is starting to work its way past the frown. “But can you blame me?” Catra asks, pinching Adora’s cheeks. “I need the money so I can take my adorable girlfriend out and spoil her until she’s sick of it.”

“Could never be sick of it,” Adora hums, eagerly leaning into the upside down kiss Catra gives her. Adora attempts to deepen it, tries to pull Catra over the arm of the sofa and cuddle her, but Catra resists, tugging lightly at Adora’s ponytail as she breaks the kiss.

“Not while I’m baking,” Catra murmurs, pecking Adora on the forehead. “Tomorrow’s our anniversary. We’ll have all day to do whatever you like,” she says. A nail comes up and teases Adora’s throat, and the huskiness in Catra’s voice promises good things to come.

For the moment, that keeps Adora satisfied – just the promise of tomorrow with the most amazing woman she’s ever known.

But…Adora _has_ always been impatient.

“Just one cuddle,” she begs, tugging on Catra’s ponytail in turn as it falls over her shoulder. She’d started wearing it that way shortly after they moved in together, though she always denies that she did so to match Adora. Adora knows better, though. “Just one and I’ll leave you alone to _not_ make banana bread for your loving, hungry girlfriend.”

“How about I give you an early anniversary gift instead?” Catra asks, quirking a brow.

Adora thinks back to her own anniversary gift – a certain ring hiding at the bottom of her underwear drawer. She shivers, almost flushes at the knowledge of what tomorrow may bring for the both of them, but she can’t give herself away. Not yet, not when they’re so close.

Instead Adora cocks her head and, intrigued, sits up and scoots over so that Catra can sit on the couch beside her.

She watches Catra curiously as she takes a deep breath, her hand coming up to fiddle with the necklace she’s worn forever – the one Spinnerella and Netossa gave her when they adopted her. But then Catra is unclasping the necklace, removing it completely. She looks at Adora, eyes brimming with so many emotions that Adora can’t even begin to comprehend them.

“Lift your hair for me?”

Adora does so without really thinking about what’s happening, but then she feels the cool sliver slide against her neck, the pendant thumping against her chest. Catra secures the clasp, and Adora lets her hair fall again.

Adora takes the heart in her hand – Catra’s heart – and watches with awe and unsuppressed emotion as it gleams beautifully in the sunlight. She meets Catra’s eyes and sees nothing but love.

“Take care of it,” she says.


End file.
